Viera was arrested Tuesday morning at his 55 Jerome St. home, along with Michael Hendricks, 37, and Joseph Zimmerman, 39, following the execution of a search warrant there by Medford Police's narcotics division and a regional SWAT team, Medford police Capt. Kevin Faller said.

Viera was charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine, Hendricks was charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine, trafficking cocaine, conspiracy to violate drug law, and possession with intent to distribute marijuana.

All three men have previous convictions on drug charges, Faller said, but he did not have the details available.

Plastic baggies full of cocaine were found by police in the building's sewer system, allegedly flushed down the toilet by Viera when he heard the SWAT team coming.

According to a Medford Police report, written by Officer Leo Sacco, police first encountered Viera in the bathroom, wearing a pair of snow pants with large cargo pockets. He denied having any drugs in the house, but in an interview with police, a witness in the house said Viera ran to the bathroom and flushed cocaine down the toilet, Sacco wrote.

The city's water and sewer department was contacted, who found the exit location for sewage from the home, where police sifted through the waste to find seven small bags and one larger bag of cocaine, the report said.

Faller said declined to comment on the events leading to the request for a search warrant of the home.

All three men were arraigned in Somerville District Court Wednesday, where Judge Neil Walker set bail at $1,000. They are slated to appear in court for a hearing March 18.

Sullivan was charged with murder, two counts of home invasion, armed assault to murder, armed assault to rob, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury, possession of a firearm as an armed career criminal, possession of ammunition as an armed career criminal, and five counts of being a habitual criminal in August 2011.